North Carolina doom metallers, HOUR OF 13 have announced the addition of vocalist, Ben Hogg (BIRDS OF PREY, BEATEN BACK TO PURE) into the band. Hogg was introduced this past Saturday night, March 5th at the Cake Shop (152 Ludlow Street)in New York, NY. He and the band played a set to a packed NYC crowd to celebrate the band's recent reissue of The Ritualist.

View pictures of Ben Hogg fronting Hour Of 13 at the Earache Records Tumblr page.

Hour Of 13 guitarist and founder, Chad Davis commented on Ben Hogg: "Hour Of 13 could not be more pleased with the dedication and amount of work Ben has shown. He is a valuable talent to have in the band. He is a vital presence that we were needing in the fold and thanks to him, we are stronger and more focused than ever."

Shortly before Hour Of13's NYC appearance, audio of Ben Hogg singing to some of the band's best songs during a rehearsal session was released. Listen to the three exclusive tracks here.

Hour Of 13's new album, The Ritualist, has been re-issued on Earache Records and hit stores February 8th in North America. The Ritualist has been fully updated and remastered and features eight tracks of occult-inspired, doom-laden metal.

The full tracklist is as follows:

'The Gathering'

'The Ritualist'

'Naked Star'

'Demons All Around Me'

'Possession'

'Soldiers Of Satan'

'Evil Inside'

'The Crawlspace'

The Ritualist is available now from the Earache US webstore.

As a special offer for fans who order the limited edition vinyl LP version of the album, each copy will include a free bonus 7" vinyl, featuring two previously-unreleased tracks:

Side A

'Grim Reality' (2006 Rehearsal)

Side B

'Call To Satan' (Live in Dublin 12.09.10)

The track 'Grim Reality' is included as a tribute to former Hour Of 13 bassist Thomas, who recently passed away.

The limited edition vinyl LP of The Ritualist is available in the following quantities and colours:

100 - Possessed Purple Splatter (black and purple)
200 - Sacrificial Stone (blood red on clear)
300 - Ethereal Glow (green)
400 - Bewitching Black

See another photo of the different vinyl colours below:

Listen to Hour Of 13's track, 'Demons All Around Me', in the clip below. More on the band at this location.